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Chapter 3

Author: South Twig
On Monday, the production team informed me that the final evaluation for the documentary was scheduled for Wednesday.

The review panel required all the referenced research material to be signed by the research institute to attest to its legitimacy.

The person in charge was none other than Elias.

I rarely, if ever, asked him for any favors.

Over the past five years, I knew better than to disrupt his routine.

This time, I knew I had to ask him.

After taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door of his study.

“Elias, I need your signature for some documents. They need to be signed by two o'clock tomorrow.

“All the data is inside this flash drive. Could you sign it once you verify the data?”

Elias continued flipping through an academic paper without bothering to look up at me.

“Is this about that documentary of yours?

“You're still working on it?”

At last, he looked up at me. There was nothing but scorn in his eyes.

“Alyssa, you need to be a professional to film a proper documentary.

“Nobody is going to give an amateur like you, who barely knows anything about this field, the time of day!”

I dug my fingernails into my palms.

“You just need to verify the data, then sign it.”

Upon noting my persistence, Elias frowned again impatiently.

He gestured dismissively at the edge of the table.

“Leave it there. I'll take a look at them tonight and sign them if everything looks good.”

“Thanks.”

With that, I placed the flash drive and the approval form on the desk, then I left the study.

At twelve-thirty the following day, Elias still hadn't signed the documents.

Just as I was about to head into the study to remind him, his phone suddenly rang.

When he answered, the first thing he heard was Jade sobbing and whimpering.

“Elias… There’s a mistake in my thesis, and my supervisor is threatening to cancel my research…”

His expression shifted dramatically as he shot up from his seat, reached for his car keys, then stormed out of the room.

I immediately cut off his path.

“Elias, you haven't signed my document yet! It's almost one o'clock, and the deadline is in an hour!”

He flung my hand out of the way and retorted irritably, “Jade’s research is going to get cancelled! This is her PhD we’re talking about!

“It’s just a documentary, it can wait another day!”

I glared at him, then insisted, “It cannot wait another day.

“It has to be approved today. We’re talking about three years of my effort down the drain if it’s not signed.”

Elias hesitated for half a second. In the end, he still sidestepped me and walked past me without a shred of sympathy.

“Alyssa, don’t try to emotionally blackmail me with your amateur work.

“Jade’s future is ten thousand times more important than your little project!”

He slammed his shoulder against me.

It was such a strong blow that I stumbled backward and slammed into a shoe cabinet, which made the pain worse.

He barely looked back when he slammed the door shut.

It was one-forty by then.

I clenched my teeth through the pain and rushed into the study.

I wanted to look for the approval form so I could have it signed at the administrative office myself.

When I opened the folder, I froze.

The approval form was untouched.

Instead, there were countless sheets of paper detailing the project outline he had prepared for Jade.

I went through a couple more pages.

Revised drafts of Jade’s thesis, data verification, the outline for her presentation...

His handwriting was all over the papers.

Meanwhile, my approval form was completely untouched.

The signature section was blank—just like what the last five years of my efforts turned out to be.

A blank slate.

I closed the folder without shedding a single tear.

One fifty-two.

I called the administrative office of the research institute.

“The designated official is unable to sign my document at the moment. May I request another researcher of the same seniority to sign the approval form instead?”

The person on the other end hesitated for a moment before answering, “Yes, we can do that.”

I dialed a number that I haven’t contacted in five whole years.

It was the number of Lucas Carlsen, who was Gabrielle’s husband.

He was the head researcher of the national research center and a direct superior of Elias.

Three minutes later, a document bearing his signature was emailed to the administrative office.

The approval was successfully granted only two minutes before the deadline.

I sat on the floor and slumped against the bookshelf.

My body ached from the impact earlier, but I was smiling.

Soon, I received a call from Gabrielle.

“Hey Alyssa, my husband told me you asked for his help to sign a document?

“Where was Elias? Why didn’t he sign it for you?”

My voice was eerily calm when I answered.

“He’s helping Jade with her PhD.”

Gabrielle was furious. Her voice was shaking when she screamed.

“What’s his problem? Couldn't he spare two minutes just to sign a document for you?

“You had to deal with his ridiculous rules for five whole years, and he couldn’t do something so simple for you?! And he just left you there?!

“Alyssa, why are you still pinning your hopes on him? How much longer are you going to put up with this?”

I steadied myself against the bookshelf and slowly pulled myself to my feet, then answered, “No more.”

I tore the blank approval form to shreds before tossing it into the trash.

“The documentary was approved.

“Gabrielle, could you contact a moving company for me?”

I took off my wedding band and tossed it onto the coffee table.

“I’m done dealing with his rules.”

After I hung up, I returned to the bedroom and grabbed my luggage from the wardrobe.

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